New Delhi, February 22: NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant has said that the Aayog has already recommended 40 sick PSUs for strategic disinvestment and is making an additional list of sick PSUs that can be privatized.

Kant said, "NITI Aayog has already recommended 40 sick PSUs for strategic disinvestment. Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) is working on it and the process is in advanced stage. We have already sent four lists (of sick PSUs). We are working on the fifth list. We will also prepare sixth and seventh list."

Kant also added that the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) had asked the NITI Aayog to look into the capability of sick state-run companies. The government expects to raise Rs 80,000 crore from PSU disinvestment in the next fiscal, lesser than Rs 1 lakh crore raised this year. The 2017-18 Budget had set the goal of disinvestment in public sector units at Rs 72,500 crore.